To Be or Not to Be

As parents it’s important that we tell our children the world is their oyster. They can be whatever they want to be! You can do whatever you want to do! With enough hard work and dedication the world is yours! I tell Charlotte this. I say work hard and you can do whatever you want to do when you grow up. And then she tells me it is her dream to be a pop star and a dancer.

So let me be honest for a second. Charlotte is not going to be a pop star or a dancer. And I’m not saying this to be mean but I’ve heard her sing and I’ve seen her dance and as entertaining as she is she is not the next Britney Spears. I’m not enrolling her in music lessons anytime soon. The world of pop stardom is not her oyster. It’s not happening. Sure, I continue to tell her she can be whatever she wants but I’m 99% sure we’ll never be on E! doing an interview saying we knew Charlotte was destined for stardom at a young age.

So my question is, do other parents out there just know that there are some things your kids are NOT good at and lie to them? Or am I the only one? Am I mean? Is there something wrong with me? I want her to have confidence so I’m obviously never going to tell her she sounds like an alley cat when she belts out the lyrics to Cascada, but deep down I know it. I’ll continue to lift her up and boost her dreams even while knowing this particular childhood dream will not come to fruition. I know she’s still young and all of this will change, I mean she thinks unicorns and fairies are real and just hiding from her still, but I can’t be the only parent who knows their kid is bad at something, right?

I always wanted to be an actress and for a time I thought it was possible. My parents always told me to go for my dreams but I feel like deep down they knew I was always going to get a regular job and have a regular life. And I’m not mad about that! I wasn’t running off to Hollywood to really go for it. I’m very content with the life that I have and the pop star wannabe daughter I reside with. Who knows, maybe she and Mackenzie will become a dancing duo. I know I will always lift them up and cheer them on, but I know I can’t be the only mom out there who in her mind is saying “oh this is never going to happen.” Or maybe I am. At least I’m honest about it? And at least I know she’ll change her mind about what she wants to be when she grows up 650 times before noon.